Why setting boundaries is important?

A parent always tries to fulfill the unlimited demands of a child, but at times parents also require saying “NO” to few things. This little word no, holds a lot of importance and restricts a child from doing it again. This is nothing but setting boundaries for our child, which is an important aspect of parenting. A boundary is nothing but a line drawn around ourselves to know from where to start and where to end; which always makes you feel safe and sets mind to work within it. We often set boundaries for ourselves and work within it, and we also do the same for our children; child too feels protected and learns many things through it.

Let me share an incident with you all related to this, I was in children’s park last week and observed that a toddler was exploring the world on its own, but his exploration were made till he could see his parents. As parents would move a step towards him, he would move a few steps further. This gives us a clear picture that the little one in his mind has set his boundaries the child walks and turns to look whether the parents are seen. Aren’t we the same as toddler in exploration, we also move ahead in path if our loved ones are with us.  In the same manner children also explores the world if you are with them with its own limitations. As child grows its boundaries are also stretched, but how to build boundaries for children and make them feel liberated at the same time is an important duty of parents.

 While deciding the frontier there are certain aspects which needs to be looked upon. Like the foremost point is “Keeping the boundaries clear” as blurred demarcations always confuses a child. A child should be clearly explained the limits and also the consequences of crossing them .For e.g. we can explain the kids that they can’t eat more than 2 chocolates in a day, as that would lead to stomach ache. By reasoning child knows why we are restricting on certain things.

As a parent we need to make a child understand that limitations are not always restrictions done in a negative way nor they are a kind of punishment. Limitation’s is not stopping one to perform instead it is a kind of a line drawn to get benefited through them and limitations done in a right manner are always fruitful. “Boundaries are meant to protect life but not limit our pleasures”- Merlin wilde.

Today in the age of gadgets, where everyone is addicted electronic devices and children are no exception; but we all know that too much of everything is too bad. On one hand it’s good that we want our kids to walk along the new technology and also feel proud that little kids are able to do lot many things easily than the elders; but on the other hand limiting usage of such devices will benefit them.(More physical activity and energetic). And same applies to elders too; even we should follow the limitations set for child with them, to make them feel it’s just not for them and applies to whole family. To bring up a child in the way he should go - travel that way yourself. - Josh Billings

There are major factors that can be used to make a boundary more comfortable, which we shall see in our upcoming posts. And for a child’s over all development we need to set a few boundaries to maintain a level so that a child learns through them.

“A lack of boundaries invites a lack of respect.”-Anonymous.

@Meenal